Near to You
by cafalla
Summary: An anthology of short stand-alone Reylo stories.
1. Stone

**A/N: Hello friends! So I had a couple short Reylo stories typed out, and thought to create a collection since I don't intend to do much of anything with them. I have a few more ideas for stories to write, but have yet to get anything down for them yet. That being said, this "story" won't be regularly updated, and I'll just throw my short Reylo writings here whenever I manage to get anything written out haha!**

 **I do have an "actual" Reylo oneshot story up, so if a longer, complete fic is more your speed, feel free to check out my story Eventide Repose! ^^**

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Rey faltered as she felt a pair of eyes watching her back.

Not wishing to humor the man who had appeared, Rey ignored his presence and continued with her training.

The waves loudly crashed against the cliff side as she tossed her staff back and forth between her hands, her focus solely on the giant boulder in front of her. She inhaled deeply before twisting her body and slamming her staff square against the boulder, and she held still for a few moments.

A cracking noise emitted from the boulder she had just assaulted, and a satisfied smile came to Rey's face as one half of it dislocated and fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Impressive."

Rey closed her eyes and mentally tried to calm herself before turning around. Her gaze landed on the ominously dark figure of Kylo Ren, and she stared at him blankly as he looked her up and down appreciatively. His analyzing gaze made her skin crawl, and Rey gripped her staff tighter until her knuckles grew white.

"Your training has been paying off well."

"That tends to happen when you actually obey your master and build off their criticism."

The way that his eye twitched at her sharp retort did not go unnoticed by the Jedi girl, and she pointedly shrugged her shoulders before turning her attention back to the fallen boulder.

Tuning out her unwanted guest, Rey closed her eyes and held her hand out as she pressed into the force. Her brows furrowed in concentration as the large chunk of boulder began to rise.

Just as she had a firm grasp on the boulder with the force, Rey gasped loudly as Kylo's sizable presence appeared directly behind her.

He was _way_ too close for comfort.

Rey's eyes snapped open at the same time the piece of boulder crashed back down on the ground, and she spun around and stepped away to put some distance between them with her staff raised.

Kylo Ren didn't flinch as Rey spat out, "Just what do you think you're doing?!"

"I was testing you," he replied simply, as if it should've been obvious.

She shook her head in disbelief, "Testing me? How was that testing me?"

Kylo's calm eyes held her own as he slowly began to step towards her. Rey's grip on her staff tensed in preparation for an attack, but curiosity got the better of her as she held steadfast.

"You will need to learn to command the force without it taking up your complete concentration," he explained smoothly as he stopped in front of her, "Otherwise you will be at a disadvantage on this physical plane if your mind is solely focused on the plane which the force occupies."

Rey's eyes narrowed up at him as he closed in, and his gloved hand gently pushed her staff down to allow himself to stand boot-to-boot with her. She allowed him, but her body remained tense and suspicion still clouded her eyes.

"Brute strength is important in battle, but so is being able to distract the enemy while commanding the force without anyone noticing."

At this, Kylo Ren cut off from their force bond connection, and Rey blinked in surprise before releasing the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

Rolling her eyes at his cryptic monologue, Rey turned back towards the boulder, only to frown in disgust.

The boulder piece she had been trying to pick up was already upright and conjoined with its other half.


	2. Safe Haven

II

Safe Haven

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"Good effort. We will pick back up on this tomorrow."

Rey nodded at Luke's dismissal, and watched him retreat back down the mountainside, presumably towards their home base.

She sighed and sat down on the grassy knoll, and breathed deeply as the afternoon breeze tousled the stray locks of hair that had come undone from her buns. Rey sat still for a few moments before allowing a frustrated grunt to escape her as she flung herself back on the grass.

Lazy clouds drifted by overhead as she replayed their training session and tried to analyzed her mistakes and weaknesses. It was painful to admit that she was failing in her training because of her distracted mind, but so many things were happening beyond her control. Rey was finding it harder and harder to remain isolated while everyone else was in peril.

Her brows knit as she reminded herself that she needed to excel in her training with Luke in order to serve as a viable ally to the Resistance.

It still hurt to know that while she was training and spending her days in relative peace with Luke, Snoke and Kylo Ren were busy hunting down her friends.

As if summoned by the mere passing thought of his name, a shadow obstructed the sunlight from her face, and Rey frowned upon opening her eyes and meeting the dark gaze of Kylo Ren staring down at her.

"Must you?"

Kylo smirked before turning his head to stare after the way Luke had gone. Rey glared up at his defined jaw.

"Difficult training today?" he asked.

Rey rolled her eyes as Kylo stepped back, allowing her some space. She sat up and wiped some grass off her shoulders before reaching for her staff. Even though she knew he wouldn't attack her now, the familiar weight of her weapon in hand brought her comfort and safety while in his presence.

Kylo remained standing as he watched her like a hawk, and Rey felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Even when he wasn't trying, he was able to put her nerves on edge with just a glance. She supposed his cursed reputation as a Jedi Killer would naturally invoke that kind of response from a Jedi-in-training.

"What do you want?" she asked as she stood to address him. "I doubt you came here just to sit and enjoy the scenery."

He shrugged, catching Rey off guard with his nonchalant aura. "Actually, that sounds nice. I just needed to get away for a bit, and you're about as far away as anything."

It was then that Rey noticed the pallor of his skin and the deep purple bags painted beneath his eyes.

She shifted her weight as she warily looked him over. His normally proud, commanding presence seemed forced as he struggled not to slouch.

"Are you alright?" Rey cursed the genuine worry that slipped out in her tone, and pursed her lips together at the unreadable emotion that clouded his eyes.

"No, not really." He groaned as he crouched down to sit in the grass, and Rey curiously watched him lean back to mirror her previous position. N

ow she was the one standing above him.

He brought his hands to rest on his chest. "I just want to take a little rest," he muttered as his dark lashes fluttered closed.

Rey peered down at him, and allowed her gaze to soften now that Kylo's sharp eyes wasn't focused on her.

For some reason, seeing him so worn out caused a wave of pity to overcome her. She understood all too well the exhaustion he was feeling, but she felt conflicted because he was the enemy. He was exhausted because he was breaking himself trying to destroy the Resistance, she reminded herself, but Rey also knew of the past demons that plagued him.

Rey tightened her grip on her staff as she stared down at him. She could attack him right now. Though they had never laid a hand on each other during their force bond connections, so Rey didn't know if she could even physically hurt him in this state.

It was tempting to try, but she decided against it as she moved to sit beside him. She placed her staff down and breathed in the crisp air as she tried to get back to her meditation.

Soft snoring caused Rey to snap her eyes open, and she peered down to look at Kylo.

A small smile tugged at her lips at the innocent expression on his marred face, and she watched him for a few minutes as he slept. He must've been truly exhausted to so easily fall asleep while in her presence.

A rustling noise drew her attention to three porgs, who cautiously bounced through the thick grass and up to Kylo's still presence. They inspected his body, and with a satisfied chirp began to cuddle up into the thick cloak that surrounded the sleeping man.

Rey stifled a giggle at the cute state the menacing Kylo was unknowingly displaying, and resisted the urge to reach out and wipe his raven locks away from his forehead. She pulled her knees up to her chest and turned to stare back off at the ocean horizon.

The warmth of the peaceful sun pulled her eyes closed, and soon Rey slipped back into a comfortable, meditative state.


	3. Surrender

III

Surrender

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Blinding light seared her eyes as Rey groggily blinked awake.

She brought a trembling hand up to shield her face, only to jerk in shock at noticing the tubing sticking out of her arm.

"Wh-What the…" she murmured as she clumsily sat up and tried to yank them out with her other hand.

A loud yelp from her right snapped her attention up to Finn, who scrambled to her side and stared down at her with wide-eyes full of relief. "Rey, you're awake."

"I...what happened, Finn?" She asked in confusion as she racked her brain for memories of what led to her current position.

It appeared as if they were in the hospital ward, but she couldn't figure out why she would be here. A dull pain in her hip began to register in her mind, and Rey pushed back the white linen blanket to reveal a set of clothing covering her body that did not belong to her. Her brows knit as she leaned back and pulled the hem of the beige tunic up, revealing the top of a large bandage peeking out over the top of her pants.

Her other hand reached to push down the hem of her pants so she could see the full extent of the injury to the right side of her hip, but Finn's large hand covered hers as he commanded her gaze and shook his head. "You were badly hurt, Rey. Please, don't look. Truthfully, I'm amazed you're still alive."

His dark eyes bore into hers, and Rey swallowed at his serious expression, the action grating against her dry throat.

"How did this happen?"

Finn released her hand and pulled the blanket back up over her lap before turning and fetching a cup of water. She accepted it graciously and sipped as she watched her friend struggle with how to explain everything to her.

"I'm not sure how much you can remember, but we were ambushed by the First Order. They had managed to find us, and a battle broke out."

Rey looked down at the cup in her hands, the memory of that night slowly becoming clearer.

"Poe? Rose? Leia?!" Rey frantically asked, afraid of hearing bad news.

Finn reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder and offered her a warm smile, "They are all fine. Luckily most of us managed to escape with minor injuries. You got the worst of it. You would've probably died, if not for-"

He must've said too much, for he clammed up and averted his gaze.

"If not for...what, Finn?" Rey cautiously asked as she leaned closer to her friend.

Finn bit his lip and sighed, "If not for him retrieving you from the battle and bringing you to safety."

He crossed his arms and looked away from her, and Rey felt her heart rate speed up.

"Him? Finn, are you talking about...?" Rey whispered.

Subconsciously, she began to press out for _him_ in the force.

"I said too much. Never mind it, Rey."

"Finn, tell me! Was it him?"

With an expression full of apprehension, Finn looked her straight in the eye and admitted, "Yes."

Rey flung the blanket off of her body and stumbled out of bed, crashing into a surprised Finn. He wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from falling over, and refused to let her go when she tried to claw away from him.

"Let go! Where is he?"

"No! Rey, no!"

Rey huffed as she tried to pull away, her focus only on the faint pulsing that ached at her through the Force.

"Please, I need to see him," she cried as she fell limp in Finn's hold.

Her broken plea pierced Finn's heart, and he reluctantly released her. "He's being held in the cells down in storage."

The man was caught off guard as the Jedi girl pulled him into a weak hug.

"Thank you," she murmured against his chest.

She was out the door before he could reply.

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Rey huffed as she rounded the corner in the dim storage area of the basement of the ship. She clutched at her injured hip, and grit her teeth as she stumbled on.

The Force bond she shared with Kylo Ren pulsed weakly within her, dispelling the fear she had felt earlier. Despite his status as enemy number one, she knew he would prove more useful to the Resistance alive.

Still, she wondered why he hadn't broken free yet - was he really that weak at the moment?

Rey breathed heavily through her nose as she tried to ignore the dull pain in her hip, and crumpled to the floor in front of the first cell after rounding the corner. Her pants echoed throughout the short, narrow hallway, and her eyes strained to make out his shape behind the decrepit cell walls. There wasn't a guard keeping watch so far down in the ship, but there were many motion detectors spread throughout that would trigger robot action should anyone try escaping. All prisoners had a special neck band that would set them off, so her presence did not trigger anything.

Rey gripped the steel bars and bitterly smiled to herself at the irony of the situation. The cells down here were ancient in structure, resembling the type of rusty cells found on Jakku. Such a fitting place for a rogue Prince to inhabit.

It was difficult to believe that Kylo Ren, the leader of the First Order, was being held down here without any supervision...after supposedly rescuing her, the last jedi.

She hung her head as her knuckles grew white from her tight grip around the grimey bars.

 _What was he thinking?_

"Rey."

A rough voice rumbled out from in front of her, and Rey sharply inhaled as she tried to pinpoint Kylo Ren's form. The feeling of warm leather covering her hands caused Rey to let out a small cry in surprise, but the dark eyes that wearily peered from behind the bars silenced her.

The Force bond between them ignited at the contact.

"So you are here," she stated simply, taking in his tattered appearance. The metal band around his neck reflected the dim glow from the old light embedded into the wall behind her. "You look like a wreck."

Keeping his hands on top of hers, Kylo scoffed, "You're one to talk."

Rey's lips tugged up slightly, but she quickly forced them into a frown. "Did you really bring me to safety?"

His raven hair and the darkness around them shielded most of his expression, but Rey could make out the slightest waver in his eyes.

"I did."

"But why? Wasn't that the point of finding the Resistance - to wipe us out?" she asked, cursing the slight tremble that slipped out in her voice.

Kylo's grip over her hands tightened, and he leaned nearer to the bars. "Yes...but when I saw Hux impale you with his spear, something within me snapped."

The ache in Rey's hip flared slightly as the memory of facing down Hux became clearer in her mind.

Kylo sighed, "I killed him. Hux."

Rey snapped her eyes up to his and her brows furrowed, "What do you mean? What sense does that make?"

The warmth from his gloves left her hands as he ran them through his matted hair. "I don't know! Like I said, I just...snapped." He clutched the front of his black robes, and Rey only noticed how tattered they were. "The Force made me feel your pain tenfold, and I could tell it was life-threatening. I saw red, and after cutting him down I grabbed you and ran for-" he cut himself off, and Rey narrowed her eyes.

He was playing Finn's game - cutting off right before revealing a vital detail.

However, Kylo finished his sentence after a long pause, "I ran for Organa. I could tell the Resistance was overcoming our troops, but it would've been too late if I had just left you there."

Rey looked away from his sad eyes. He truly must've been desperate if he decided to run to his mother of all people.

Her hands fell away from the bars to land in her lap, and Rey felt tears well up in her eyes as she glared down at her fingers.

"You should've just left me," she whispered, and fisted her fingers into the soft fabric of the pants that were not her own.

"How could I, Rey?" His soft voice reached her ears, causing her heart to ache at the uncharacteristically tender tone. "You told me I wasn't alone, and in that moment I felt you leaving me. I couldn't allow that to happen."

A light pressure on her collarbone lulled her chin up to see Kylo reaching between the bars. Her breath hitched in her throat as his gloved fingers ghosted across her exposed collarbone and drew downwards. Kylo poked her gently above her breast, where her heart was.

"The bond between us is strong. You are the only one who understands me, as I'm the only one who understands you. Saving your life was worth surrendering to the Resistance."

Tears welled up in Rey's eyes at his uncharacteristically gentle tone, and she shifted closer to the bars. Her smaller hands took hold of his, and she brought it down to cradle in her lap as she bent over, not wanting him to see her broken expression.

Her head was now bowed against the bars, and her heartbeat faltered at the sensation of Kylo's other hand laying gently against her cheek as he buried his face in her hair.

He nuzzled her head and whispered into your hair, "I'm so glad you're alright. I'll never let anything happen to you."

Rey shivered at the seriousness of his declaration.

She knew he meant it, for he had already slayed many men who had made attempts on her life. It was shocking when he killed Snoke, but to kill Hux as well? Though she did not know their relationship, Rey knew Hux was quite important to the First Order.

But if Kylo had easily disposed of him, then there was no doubt he would continue to do so for her honor.

A tear fell onto his gloved hand in her lap, and Rey bit her lip as she tried not to let the fear that gripped her heart show. They were deeply bonded, yes, but even this was a bit too much for her to stomach.

She did not want people to needlessly die, not because of her.

Kylo's hand caressed her cheek and moved back to tangle in her loose hair.

Rey stifled a sob.

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 **A/N: Originally this story started out leading to a romantic reunion, but by the end somehow yandere vibes emerged. I kind of like it though, as I can see Kylo becoming so fixated on protecting her that he allows himself to go berserk on anyone or anything that threatens her. Like, his darkness and past actions have made him so desensitized to killing, and while Rey has cut down enemies before, it feels wrong to her to have him strike down anyone and anything only because they dared to fight her (even the people who are supposed to be his allies).**

 **What do you guys think? xx**


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